Revolving door assembly with foldable door wings

Abstract

A revolving door assembly in which the individual door wings are releasably secured to a central support member, such that the door wings are retained in respective operative positions in which the wings extend substantially radially from the central hub in diametrically opposed pairs. The door wings are releasable from their operative positions in response to the exertion of a predetermined force thereon to allow one or more of the door wings to be rotated about their respective pivot axes to a folded position. The support member has a plurality of arm members projecting substantially radially therefrom. Each door wing is attached to a corresponding arm member by means of a ball and catch mechanism at a distal position relative to the support member. The ball is disengaged from the catch to allow the door wing to swing free of the arm member when a predetermined force is exerted thereon. An elongated bar is positioned between an inner portion of each door wing and the support member for maintaining each door wing substantially in vertical alignment when the door wing is rotated about its pivot axis. Each door wing is pivotally mounted for rotation about first and second pivot axes, which are spaced apart sufficiently to allow the door wings to be substantially completely "bookfolded".

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A revolving door assembly, comprising, in combination: rotary support means having a central axis about which the assembly revolves and a plurality of arm members projecting substantially radially therefrom;   a plurality of door wings rotatably mounted on respective arm members at respective proximate positions relative to the central axis, such that the door wings are rotatable about respective pivot axes substantially parallel to said central axis; and   means for releasably securing the door wings to the respective arm members at respective distal locations relative to the central axis, such that the door wings are normally retained in respective operative positions wherein the door wings extend substantially radially from the central axis in diametrically opposed pairs, said securing means for releasing a door wing in response to the exertion of a predetermined force thereon to enable said door wing to be rotated about its pivot axis to a folded position.   
     
     
       2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said support means includes a plurality of fork projections, each of which has a pair of spaced-apart prongs for receiving a first portion of a corresponding arm member between the prongs, each arm member being coupled to a corresponding fork projection to secure the arm member to the support means. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said pivot axes are located a predetermined distance from the central axis. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said pivot axes include first pivot axes positioned a first predetermined distance from the central axis and second pivot axes positioned a second predetermined distance from the central axis, said second predetermined distance being greater than said first predetermined distance, each of said door wings being rotatable about its corresponding first axis or its corresponding second axis. 
     
     
       5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the distance between the second pivot axis and the first pivot axis is at least as great as the distance between the first pivot axis and the central axis plus the thickness of the corresponding door wing along an axis perpendicular to a major surface of the corresponding door wing. 
     
     
       6. The assembly of claim 1 further including hinge means for rotatably mounting said door wings on said support means, said hinge means including a first hinge member for being connected to each of said door wings to rotatably mount each of said door wings on said support means and a second hinge member pivotally connected to the first hinge member spaced apart from the position at which the first hinge member is connected to the corresponding door wing to provide a second pivot axis for said door wing, said door wing being rotatable about its first pivot axis when the door wing is released from its corresponding arm member, such that the first and second hinge members will pivot along with said door wing about said first pivot axis, said door wing being rotatable about its second pivot axis when the first hinge member is constrained from further rotation, such that the door wing and the second hinge member will pivot about the second pivot axis. 
     
     
       7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein said first hinge member is comprised of a plurality of relatively flat first hinge plates in vertical stacked arrangement and said second hinge member is comprised of a plurality of relatively flat second hinge plates in vertical stacked arrangement. 
     
     
       8. The assembly of claim 7 further including a first spacer member disposed between each pair of first hinge plates and a second spacer member disposed between each pair of second hinge plates in the vertical stack. 
     
     
       9. The assembly of claim 8 further including a washer member disposed between the first hinge plate and an adjacent second hinge plate along the corresponding second pivot axis. 
     
     
       10. The assembly of claim 1 further including alignment means for maintaining each door wing substantially in vertical alignment when the corresponding door wing is rotated about its pivot axis. 
     
     
       11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said alignment means includes an elongated bar for being positioned substantially in abutting relationship with an inner portion of each door wing between said inner portion of the door wing and the central axis. 
     
     
       12. The assembly of claim 11 further including a plurality of pivot members for pivotally mounting each door wing on the support means, said pivot members being attached to respective top and bottom portions of the elongated bar, such that the bar constrains the respective top and bottom pivot members to rotate substantially together when the corresponding door wing is rotated about its pivot axis. 
     
     
       13. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said securing means includes latch means distally positioned with respect to said central axis for securing each door wing to the corresponding arm member to maintain the door wing in its operative position, said latch means including a first latch member disposed on the corresponding door wing and a second latch member disposed on the corresponding arm member, said first latch member for normally engaging said second latch member to retain the corresponding door wing in its operative position, said first latch member being releasable from said second latch member in response to the exertion of a predetermined force on the door wing so that the door wing is rotatable away from the corresponding arm member. 
     
     
       14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein said first latch member includes a spring-biased ball catch and said second latch member includes an opening for receiving said ball catch to secure said first and second latch members together, said first and second latch members being disengageable by a force exerted on the corresponding door wing which overcomes the spring bias and moves the ball catch out of the opening. 
     
     
       15. A revolving door assembly having rotary central support means, a plurality of door wings mounted on the support means for revolving motion about a central axis extending through said support means, means for pivotally mounting the door wings relative to the support means so that the door wings are rotatable about respective pivot axes substantially parallel to and radially removed from the central axis and means for releasably securing the door wings to the support means, such that the door wings are normally retained in respective operative positions wherein the door wings extend substantially radially from the vertical axis, said securing means for releasing a door wing in response to the exertion of a predetermined force so that the door wing is rotatable about its pivot axis to a folded position, wherein the improvement comprises alignment means for maintaining each door wing substantially in vertical alignment when the door wing is rotated about its pivot axis. 
     
     
       16. The assembly of claim 15 wherein said alignment means includes an elongated bar for being positioned substantially in abutting relationship with each door wing, such that when the door wing is in an operative position, the bar is disposed between the central axis and an inner portion of the corresponding door wing, said bar for substantially preventing top and bottom portions of the corresponding door wing from differential rotation when said door wing is rotated about its pivot axis. 
     
     
       17. The assembly of claim 16 further including a plurality of pivot members mounted on respective top and bottom portions of the bar, said pivot members being connected to the corresponding door wing to couple the corresponding door wing to the bar, said bar for constraining said pivot members mounted at the top and bottom of the bar to rotate substantially together, thereby maintaining the corresponding door wing substantially in vertical alignment during rotation about its pivot axis. 
     
     
       18. The assembly of claim 16 wherein each of said door wings has first and second pivot axes, said first pivot axis extending along the major axis of said elongated bar and said second pivot axis being radially outward from said first pivot axis, such that said first pivot axis is between the central axis and the second pivot axis. 
     
     
       19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the radial distance between the first and second pivot axes is at least as great as the radial distance between the first pivot axis and the central axis plus the thickness of the corresponding door wing along an axis perpendicular to a major surface of the door wing. 
     
     
       20. A revolving door assembly having rotary central support means, a plurality of door wings mounted on the support means for revolving motion about a central axis, means for pivotally mounting the door wings relative to the support means, such that the door wings are rotatable about respective pivot axes substantially parallel to said central axis and means for releasably securing the door wings to the support means, such that the door wings are retained in respective operative positions wherein the door wings extend substantially radially from the central axis in diametrically opposed pairs, the securing means for releasing the door wing in response to the exertion of a predetermined force to allow the door wing to be rotated about its pivot axis to a folded position, wherein the improvement comprises means for pivotally mounting each door wing relative to the support means, such that each door wing is rotatable about respective first and second pivot axes substantially parallel to the central axis, said second pivot axis being positioned outside of said first pivot axis, such that said first pivot axis is between the central axis and the second pivot axis, the distance between the first and second pivot axes being at least as great as the distance between the first pivot axis and the central axis plus the thickness of the door wing along an axis substantially perpendicular to a major surface of the door wing. 
     
     
       21. A revolving door assembly, comprising, in combination: rotary central support means having a plurality of arm members projecting substantially radially therefrom;   a plurality of door wings mounted on respective arm members for revolving motion about a central axis;   means for pivotally mounting each door wing relative to its corresponding arm member, such that each door wing is rotatable about first and second pivot axes substantially parallel to the central axis, said second pivot axis being positioned outside of said first pivot axis such that said first pivot axis is between the central axis and the second pivot axis; and   means for releasably securing the door wings to the respective arm members at respective distal positions relative to the central axis, such that the door wings are retained in respective operative positions wherein the wings extend substantially radially from the central axis in diametrically opposed pairs, said securing means for releasing a door wing in response to the exertion of a predetermined force thereon to allow said door wing to be rotated about one or both of its pivot axes to a folded position.   
     
     
       22. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the distance between the first and second pivot axes of each door wing is at least as great as the distance between the first pivot axis and the central axis plus the thickness of the corresponding door wing, as measured along an axis substantially perpendicular to a major surface of the corresponding door wing. 
     
     
       23. The assembly of claim 21 wherein said means for pivotally mounting said door wings includes hinge means positioned at the top and bottom of each door wing for pivotally mounting the corresponding door wing relative to the support means, said hinge means including a first hinge member for being pivoted about the first pivot axis adjacent to one end of said first hinge member and a second hinge member pivotally connected to an opposite end of said first hinge member, such that said second hinge member is rotatable about the second pivot axis, said first hinge member being constrained from rotation about said second pivot axis. 
     
     
       24. A revolving door assembly comprising, in combination: rotary central support means having a central axis about which the assembly revolves;   a plurality of door wings;   means for releasably coupling the door wings to the support means, such that the door wings are normally retained in respective operative positions wherein the door wings extend substantially radially from the central axis; and   means for pivotally mounting each door wing relative to the support means, such that each door wing is rotatable about first and second pivot axes substantially parallel to the central axis and radially removed therefrom, said second pivot axis being radially removed from said first pivot axis, such that said first pivot axis is between the central axis and the second pivot axis, said means for releasably coupling said door wings to the support means for releasing a door wing in response to the exertion of a predetermined force thereon, such that said door wing is rotatable about one or both of its pivot axes to a folded position.   
     
     
       25. The assembly of claim 24 wherein said means for releasably coupling said door wings to said support means includes a plurality of arm members projecting substantially radially from said support means and means for connecting each of said arm members to a corresponding one of said door wings at a corresponding distal position relative to said central axis. 
     
     
       26. The assembly of claim 25 wherein said means for pivotally mounting each door wing includes means for pivotally mounting each door wing relative to its corresponding arm member, such that each door wing is rotatable with respect to its corresponding arm member relative to said first and second pivot axes. 
     
     
       27. A revolving door assembly, comprising, in combination: rotary support means having a central axis about which the assembly revolves and a plurality of arm members projecting substantially radially therefrom;   a plurality of door wings rotatably mounted on the respective arm members, such that the door wings are rotatable about respective pivot axes substantially parallel to said central axis; and   means for releasably securing the door wings to the respective arm members, at respective distal locations relative to the central axis, such that the door wings are normally retained in respective operative positions wherein the door wings extend substantially radially from the central axis, said securing means for releasing a door wing in response to the exertion of a predetermined force thereon to enable said door wing to be rotated about its pivot axis to a folded position.